Won't Let You Go
by JenthGrek710
Summary: Drake comes to McDuck Manor to visit his best friend Launchpad. Unfortunately, there's a demon lurking in the mansion, and LP's soul is on the menu.


Darkwing Duck slipped into his small apartment through its window, before the sun took away the dark cover of night. The window was pulled shut and the blinds closed before their owner breathed a quiet sigh.

He then headed into the bathroom for a much needed shower, Darkwing Duck retiring for the night so Drake Mallard could face the day.

Drake, freshly showered and changed into his familiar purple-pink flannel, sat on the edge of his bed, wondering what to do with all his leftover energy. It had been a quiet night, first one in a long time. Much as the break was nice, he was still energized and geared up to _do_ something. He didn't have a day job yet, having only just quit the acting gig. Everything from his trailer had already been brought back to the apartment before said trailer had to be re-purposed for McDuck Studios's next production; and he'd already meticulously unpacked everything to its proper place.

His eyes suddenly caught his hyper-rare Battle-Hat Darkwing Duck Action Figure, and a smile lit his face. Maybe Launchpad was free today. Drake dug out his cell phone and called his best friend, always happy to see the energetic, passionate man.

Several minutes later, he stepped out of his apartment, using the door this time, and hailed a cab. Luckily, when he got a hold of the pilot and asked if he was free, LP had suggested he come over to McDuck Manor for a visit. They'd met up a couple times at diners or comic shops or the hospital, on a few occasions... But this was the first time they were going to hang out in either's living space, and Drake was feeling a bit nervous about it.

Firstly, he was going to freaking McDuck Manor, the home of his former employer and the richest duck in the world! That alone would've put him a bit on-edge. Though it didn't help that Launchpad was probably the only real friend Drake had had in a long, long time, and he really didn't want to mess it up.

He wasn't good with... people, and Launchpad seemed good with everyone, but he didn't want to be the one to break that streak and drive the man away.

Drake gulped nervously as they approached a tall iron gate, framing a grand, gleaming manor atop a large hill. He paid the driver before going over to a speaker box to the left of the gate. He pressed the button, flinching at the short buzzing sound it emitted.

A second later, a familiar voice came over the speaker. "State your business please."

"Oh, Mrs. Beakley!" Drake remembered meeting her when Launchpad had showed him their homemade tapes of how the Darkwing show might've ended had it had the chance. It was always nice to meet another DW fan. "It's me, uh Drake Mallard! Launchpad asked me to come over while we hang out today."

"Ah, Mister Mallard. Hope you're well. Give the gate a second, step in, and push it closed behind you."

"O-okay. Thanks!" There was another buzz before he approached the gate, pulling it open so he could get through. He pushed it closed behind him like the housekeeper asked before making the trek up to the manor.

Gracious, his friend lived here? Now Drake felt even more self-conscious about inviting him to his apartment in the future. Another sigh left his beak, running a hand through his hair as he finally approached the front door of the manor. How could he ever be good enough for Launchpad? He had to be better than he had been; LP deserved a good friend, and Drake was going to do his absolute best to be a good friend to him.

He took a steadying breath and knocked on the door.

The door swung open, and, instead of Mrs. Beakley, a butler greeted him. But this butler was light blue, slightly transparent, and floating a foot off the ground. "Good morning Sir. How may I help you?"

Drake blinked. "Uh... um, I-I'm here to see Launchpad?" he stammered, wondering if he was more tired than he'd originally thought to be seeing a ghost in broad daylight and acting as a butler.

The spirit nodded once. "Ah, if you want Mr. McQuack, you'll actually want the garage to your right." He pointed out towards a short offset of the driveway that curved to the right.

"Oh. Uh... thanks! Sir..." He hesitated a second before stepping down the stairs and following the offset to the garage. There didn't seem to be a regular door nearby, so Drake raised his fist and knocked gently on the garage door. After a moment, the door rattled open, revealing the car-park and the tall, broad pilot, who smiled brightly as he greeted his friend.

Drake grinned sheepishly. "Hey Launchpad. The uh... ghost(?) at the front door told me you'd be here," he noted, thumb jabbed toward the manor's front steps.

"Oh, cool. I'll have to thank Duckworth for that. Probably should've mentioned I don't live _in_ the manor when we were on the phone, huh?"

Drake stepped in at Launchpad's urging, letting the taller of the two slide the door shut again. "You... live in Mr. McDuck's garage?"

"Oh yeah, have for a while now. It's nothing fancy or anything, but Mr. McDee said I don't have to pay rent if I take care of all the vehicle repairs myself! It's a better setup than my last place."

He looked around the... living room, if it could really be called that, on the far side of the garage. There was an old TV propped up on an equally-old box, and an even older couch that had more than seen its fair use. A curtain on one side of the couch and a fridge on the other. There was even the Darkwing Duck poster he'd signed hanging on the wall! That warmed his heart considerably.

A quick glance up showed the 'bedroom', a small loft area with a dresser, some miscellaneous junk, and a simple but also old and worn hammock and pillow. Though another look revealed some glow-in-the-dark stars and moons specifically over the hammock, and Drake thought that was unfairly adorable and brilliant.

"... Does he... pay you at all?" he asked, completely unaware that his friend had been living like this. Could probably stand a good cleaning...

LP nodded. "Oh yeah. I even got a raise when I was promoted from driver to driver _and_ pilot! Though most of it goes to food and repairs. But that's fine; you never need much when you're doing something you love."

The new superhero smiled back at the pilot. That was something else he genuinely admired about Launchpad: his unending optimism and honest love for his job and the people he worked with. Still, Drake made a mental note to set aside some money to at least get his friend a new couch...

"Oh! And I do have the entire Darkwing Duck series on tape!" he crowed. He pulled down a box full of VHS tapes, all filled with their beloved TV show.

Drake lit up. "Wow! I got all of mine transferred to DVD forever ago. Are they still in good condition?"

"Good enough to watch," Launchpad answered enticingly.

"Sweet! Would Mr. McDuck mind if we grabbed some popcorn?"

Launchpad shrugged. "I already got some on-hand. Always gotta be prepared for a DW marathon." He grabbed some of the aforementioned snack before setting up the first tape while Drake found a suitable spot on the couch to properly lounge during their impromptu marathon.

The next while was spent enthusiastically geeking out over the beloved show, scarfing down fluffy kernels, and discussing fan theories and easter eggs. Just as Launchpad got up to pop in the last tape, the door from the mansion swung open, Dewey Duck peeking his head in.

"Hey Launchpad, you wanna help me- oh, hey Drake," Dewey greeted, stepping fully into the bachelor pad.

Drake waved from his spot on the sofa. "Hey Dewey. Want to join us for the last episode of Darkwing Duck?"

"Eh, I've seen it twice now, so I'm good. Do you guys talk about anything besides Darkwing Duck?"

He shrugged, sheepish grin returning. "Oh sure. LP tells me about the adventures he's been on with you and your family and some of the other stuff he does throughout the week, and I'll tell him what I've been up to."

"Ah, so you also talk about boring adult stuff, huh?" Dewey asked, looking like he was losing interest.

"I wouldn't really say that. The last thing Launchpad could ever be is boring."

Said pilot grinned bashfully. "Heh. Thanks Drake. Ah, anyway, did you say you needed help with something Dewey?" he asked, changing the subject from himself.

The young duck blinked. "Oh yeah! Mom is still helping Mrs. Beakley clean up from her attempt at making breakfast, Uncle Scrooge is taking a money bath, Huey and Louie are watching reruns of Ottoman Empire again, and I can't find Webby. I need something to do, so you wanna help me explore the manor some more?"

"Sure! Mind if Drake comes with us?"

"If he wants to come, yeah!"

"You wanna come with, Drake? Mr. McDee's got a bunch of cool stuff in his manor from all his treasure hunting."

He smiled and nodded. "Sure, I wouldn't mind joining you guys. Let's go see what's around then."

"All right! Let's see if there are any more hidden rooms we haven't discovered yet!" Dewey chirped. "Where should we look first?"

"You know, I don't think we've ever actually checked this room for a hidden room," Launchpad suggested, looking around his living space.

"Ooh! You're right! Let's see if there's anything that leads to a secret room around here!" Dewey ran around the garage, checking the walls for any triggers.

Drake chuckled quietly, taking an opposite corner and checking for any accesses to hidden rooms. The trio explored every inch of the garage before deeming the venture unsuccessful and moving on to the next room. It seemed to be another storage room, though more for adventuring gear than treasure.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that Mr. McDuck has a bunch of hidden rooms in his manor, huh?" Drake noted as they checked the walls again.

"You should've seen the stuff in his not-secret rooms before he put together that new wing at the museum. And Webby's mentioned some 'other bin', I think? Actually, I'm almost more surprised to hear what Uncle Scrooge doesn't have. But what he does have is still really, really awesome! Even if it occasionally comes to life and tries to kill us or something."

Launchpad laughed a little and put a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder when he saw the shocked look on his face. "Don't worry, Mr. McDee knows what he's doing. He wouldn't have such dangerous objects in his own house if he couldn't handle them, right?"

He hummed softly. "... Yeah, I suppose you're right."

"If anyone can handle them, it's the duck who collected them."

Before Drake could say anything else about it, there was a low rumble as a section of the wall nearest Dewey slid open, revealing a dark passage way. The duckling in blue beamed excitedly. "Whoa! This is so cool! Come on!" He immediately ran into the nook, the adults following him with a bit more caution.

They walked down the short corridor before coming to another door. Not thinking twice about it, Dewey reached for the knob and twisted it open. It creaked a bit from disuse, but opened easily, revealing a dim room cloaked in shadows. It seemed to be yet another storage room, piles of random objects scattered around.

"Yeesh, I hope there's a working light switch around here," the ex-actor hummed, stepping into the room after the duckling. Not that he was uncomfortable with the dark or anything; it would be counter-intuitive if he was. He just didn't want Dewey or Launchpad tripping or something.

"I've got you covered DW," the pilot noted from the doorway. He flipped up said switch, the room suddenly illuminating and casting shadows on the walls. The room clearly hadn't been cleaned in a while, nor had it been entirely unpacked. Boxes, sheets, and ropes made up most of the piles, but there were still a good number of items on display.

"This is awesome! I can't wait to show the others this!" Dewey ran in further, wide eyes taking in everything they could.

Drake hummed thoughtfully, looking over a bunch of the artifacts. "Mr. McDuck really does have everything, doesn't he?"

"Not everything apparently. I think it's actually pretty neat to think about how much Mr. McDee does have, yet there's always something new out in the world to be discovered," Launchpad noted.

Drake looked up at his friend and nodded. "Huh. I never thought of that. That is pretty neat."

"Hey guys! Look at this!" Dewey called from further in the room.

The purple-clad duck followed the sound of his voice, a content smile on his bill as he joined the young duck. He lifted Dewey up to get a better look at a small golden totem with the head of a dragon. "So, I'm pretty sure the last thing your uncle wants is for any of this stuff to hurt you, so are we sure everything here is safe?"

"It's probably fine," Dewey answered dismissively. "Besides, you two are some of the most indestructible people I've ever met. Nothing could go wrong even if it tried."

"Might not want to tempt fate there buddy. As much as Launchpad and I might be able to bounce back from stuff, we wouldn't want you getting hurt. Right LP?"

"Right DW. Maybe we could go get Mr. McDee, and he can tell you what all these cool things are, huh?" Before either could answer, Launchpad turned to the side and coughed violently into his elbow.

The sound made Drake jump slightly. "Hey, are you okay?"

He sent the two an assuring grin. "Oh yeah, totally fi-" he turned again to start coughing, doubling over a little as he struggled to breathe properly. Drake was almost concerned that his friend was suffocating.

"Yeesh, you don't sound okay," Dewey remarked, his excitement for the hidden room temporarily forgotten through his best friend's sudden fit. "Maybe it's too dusty in here? Should we get you outside?"

"M-may-_cough-cough-cough_-be."

"Let's go then," Drake agreed. He carefully set Dewey down, stepped over to the pilot, and gently placed a hand on his arm.

Launchpad jerked at the touch like he'd been electrocuted and backed away quickly, his hands going to his head. "N-no, wait. Stop!"

"Launchpad? What's going on?" Drake and Dewey tried to come closer to help their friend, but he kept stepping away until his back hit a wall.

He looked around the room frantically, not focusing on either of them, his breathing becoming faster and more shallow by the second. "I don't- It's not-... Please stop!" His eyes screwed shut tightly, his head bowed, and his entire frame started shaking.

"All right, we're definitely getting you out of here." Drake reached for him again.

When he made contact with Launchpad's arm, the pilot went stiff. His head was tossed back, and he yelped as his eyes suddenly glowed a dark, ominous red. His shadow started morphing, glowing like a purple fire as it twisted and writhed into a new shape. Dewey gasped at the sight of it, remembering all too well the last time shadows attacked.

Drake quickly stepped back, putting an arm out in front of Dewey just in case, as the shadow finished morphing. The blackness had condensed to a slender figure dressed simply yet elegantly despite the lack of details. The purple flames from the transformation gathered at the head and draped down the form in long waves of pretty but deadly hair. And just as Launchpad's body relaxed again, the shadow opened its own glowing red eyes.

"_Finally,_" Launchpad said in relief, though his friends could tell it wasn't him talking, but his new shadow. "_And here I thought I would be all alone again. Just like this poor soul here,_" it crooned, a hand reaching along the wall and patting where Launchpad's shoulder would be.

Drake stiffened, moving slightly to prepare for a fight. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"_Oh, little me?_" it spoke coyly, though this tone wasn't believed for a moment. "_You can call me Amallga Mei, Herald of the Neglected._"

Well that didn't sound good at all. "And what, Miss Mei, are you doing with our friend?"

"_Was it not obvious from my title?_" it asked with Launchpad's voice, making both his friends shiver from the unusual sarcastic tone. "_Your 'friend' feels neglected, lonely, unloved. It's why I'm here; my whole purpose is to be a guiding light for troubled souls._"

Dewey's brow drew in confusion. "What? Launchpad can't feel that way. Uncle Scrooge is always bringing him on our adventures! And he's with at least one of us like, all the time!"

"_You don't have to be alone to be lonely,_" Amallga responded evenly. "_And when was the last time Scrooge or any of you invited him anywhere? Ever since your mother came back, he's been staying at home, waiting for all of you to return from your latest adventure. And still he smiles and listens to all of the wonderful things you did without him._"

"Bu-" Dewey deflated a little. He actually hadn't thought much about that, just happy to have his mom back after everything... "... H-how did you know about my mom?"

Drake started pulling Dewey behind him. "She's somehow taken control of Launchpad; she must have access to his memories."

"_Ooh, aren't you clever? Of course, he already knew that. He thinks quite highly of you, Mister Mallard. Suppose it's too bad that won't amount to anything now._"

"Wait, what? What does that mean?"

"_I told you, I'm a guiding light for troubled souls. This soul is troubled, so I'm guiding it somewhere better._"

Dewey gasped. "No! You can't take Launchpad's soul away!"

"_I'm afraid that's not for you to decide. It won't be long now before he is ready to join me me, young duck, this is best for him. Things will be much better if he lets me help him._"

The young triplet was conflicted; this couldn't happen to his friend, it just couldn't. He wanted to stop the ghost-shadow-demon-thing, or try getting Launchpad away from her, or... even just hug him goodbye... But Drake's hand was on his shoulder still.

"Go get your uncle," he whispered, eyes still on their friend and the mysterious woman. "I'll try to keep her occupied until he can come help."

Dewey looked at his friend again before looking up at the ex-actor and nodding. He ran back to the door to find his family.

"_And where are you going young one?_" Amallga asked, and suddenly, Launchpad was moving to follow his little friend.

Drake stepped in his way, arms held out to block him. "Stop this at once and release our friend! If he's truly as unhappy as you say, we can all do better to help him! There's no need for you to take him anywhere!"

Launchpad frowned, and it paired with the glowing eyes was yet another unusual result from the possession that made Drake shiver unpleasantly. "_Maybe this is what he wants. Have you thought of that?_"

"I can't believe it. I just can't believe someone like Launchpad would be willing to go to these lengths, no matter how bad he feels. Look," he sighed, "I know we haven't been friends for very long, but I just know Launchpad wouldn't want his soul taken away!"

"_Are you really so sure?_"

He hesitated, just for a moment, before nodding. "I'd bet my life on it."

The shadow seemed to perk up, Launchpad following suit, like nothing more than the puppet she was using him as. "_Oh, would you now?_" Amallga giggled, and something about it made a knot appear in Drake's stomach. "_I'll tell you what: if you're serious about your faith in your friend, I'll let you speak to him again so you can find out for yourself. If you're correct, I'll set you both free and never bother you again. But if you're wrong, you're both mine._"

He thought about it. Her wording definitely gave him pause, sounding like he would be giving his soul to her to keep instead of 'guiding it somewhere better' like she had first insisted was her job. Though there was no way he could just stand by and let this happen to Launchpad if it truly wasn't what he wanted. But if it was... What would it even feel like, to have his soul taken away?

"... You've got a deal," he answered. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he just let his friend go without finding out how he truly felt about it.

Amallga made the pilot smile and hold out his hand. Drake reached and grasped it, shaking it once, then everything went white.

Dewey ran back through the garage and into the house, hoping his uncle would be finished with his bath. He ran into his brothers as he dashed through the foyer. He screeched to a halt in front of them, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath back. "Need... Scrooge," he panted.

Huey helped his brother stand up straight so he could get more air into his lungs. "Whoa, hold on there Dewey. What's going on? What do you need Uncle Scrooge for?"

"Yeah, usually whenever you run around with that look in your eye, you're trying to hide from Scrooge, not find him," Louie chuckled.

"Secret... room... Shadow... Launchpad," he gasped, only just starting to get his breath back.

There was a loud gasp and a bang before Webby was suddenly standing beside the triplets. The three screamed at her sudden appearance, but she didn't pay mind to it. "You found another one of Scrooge's secret artifact rooms and a shadow attacked Launchpad?!"

Dewey nodded and tilted his hand in a so-so gesture as he tried to get his heart back to a normal pace.

"Webby, where did you come from?!" Huey asked.

Said duckling pointed up at an open vent cover. "I was practicing for the 'floor is lava' game Lena told me about. Though I don't know if Uncle Scrooge will appreciate us filling his rooms with lava, nor do I know where Lena will be getting said lava, but it sounded fun! Anyway! A shadow attacked Launchpad?" she asked Dewey.

"Kinda? I mean, it looks like a shadow, but it's not acting like the shadows Magica conjured did. And it spoke on its own, calling itself Amallga Mei."

"Wha' did ye just say lad?!"

The ducklings turned towards the door to find just the duck they were looking for in the doorway. "Me, Launchpad, and Drake found one of your artifact rooms near Launchpad's garage, and there's this shadow-thing that calls itself Amallga Mei that says she's going to take Launchpad's soul!"

"What?!" his siblings quacked.

"Why didn't you mention that first?!" Louie demanded, following his brothers, friend, and uncle back towards this new secret room at Scrooge's urging.

"Tha' dreadful, deceiving demoness! I knew I was forgetting something about this blasted house!"

"Who is she, Uncle Scrooge? I don't remember reading about her in any of the books in the manor," Webby noted, easily keeping pace with the older duck.

"Ah, she's a lesser-known demon tha' tried to whisk my soul away once or twice. She tricks ye inta thinking she's some kinda angel or savior by spou'ing out all yer insecurities, making them seem worse than they are, making ye feel hopeless, and then promising ta take ye away from it all. But she's just a lowly trickster that eats the poor souls for their power."

Huey nearly tripped after hearing all of this. "And she's just living in the manor?!"

"Not entirely by choice lad," Scrooge defended himself. "Since she's so unknown, it's difficult t' find the righ' way t' defeat her, sae I lured her inta tha' room ages ago and sealed her away with several runes carved in the walls until I could figure out what else t' do with her. The movies and books and all them saying a bit of iron or salt or holy water being yer best bet of defeating a demon are just plain wrong. Well..." he amended, "they will help ye slow them down, but ye need a more permanent solution for these gluttonous ghouls. I just hadn't been able to find hers yet."

"So what do we do when we get there? She doesn't sound like the type to back off if we just ask," Louie noted.

"Don' ye worry," Scrooge assured them. "We'll take care of her and save Launchpad. Just remember, no matter wha' she says, don' le' her get t' ye. Ignore her, tune her ou', whatever ye have t' do. Don' fall for her traps."

They rushed into the artifact room, and Dewey gasped. "Drake!" Just like Launchpad, the ex-actor was still as stone, and his eyes glowed dark red.

Drake opened his eyes and groaned. What happened? He sat up and rubbed his head, a dull ache behind his eyes. Oh wait, that's right; he gambled his life to a shadow to try saving Launchpad's. He wasn't really experienced with these kinds of supernatural things, clearly not as much as the McDuck family, but he still didn't trust Amallga Mei, no matter what she claimed. He had to find LP.

He stood and looked around, seeing nothing but an empty expansion of light grey. Drake frowned, cupping his hands around his bill and called out, "Launchpad!"

His voice echoed out, but there was nothing else. He turned and tried again. He listened intently for something, anything. After a moment, something besides his voice came back to him. It was faint and difficult to pin down what exactly it was, but it was better than nothing.

Drake started running in the direction of the noise. He continued calling for his friend, hoping he would get an answer. He never heard a voice, but the sound was getting louder. It grew from a faint echo to a constant buzzing then to a steady roar, like a waterfall or a tornado. The farther he ran, the more he noticed that the light grey of his surroundings got darker and darker, but he could still see perfectly fine. He guessed it was from whatever was glowing faintly in front of him, so he ran towards it.

As he finally started approaching the glowing, roaring entity, he recognized that it was in fact a tornado. A tornado of blue flame, almost like Amallga's hair. But it wasn't hot, and it didn't seem to be spreading any farther than where it already was. Cautiously stepping up to it, Drake could finally make out that the twister was actually made up of luminescent... butterflies?

He reached out his hand and gently pushed through the fluttering insects. Almost immediately, his hand and wrist started burning intensely. He pulled away with a pained yelp, waving his hand around to cool it down again. ".. Fireflies..." he muttered, unsure if he should be amused or irritated by the pun.

The pun flew from his mind when he caught a glimpse of something inside the tornado from where his hand had separated the flow of flies before they sealed the patch up again.

Launchpad's huddled form in the center.

Drake's shadow melted into Amallga's form alongside Launchpad's, making her larger, and her hair glow brighter. She soon spotted the Duck family and made Launchpad and Drake laugh. "_Oh Scrooge, you decided to pay me a visit after all,_" she spoke with both of their voices.

Scrooge glared at the demoness and pointed the end of his cane at her. "Amallga, release my pilot and Mister Mallard this instant!"

Her puppets pouted mockingly. "_Oh, but I haven't had anything to eat in ages. I'm just starving. And Mister McQuack has such a sweet soul. A rare treat for me indeed~_" they purred, which was very unsettling. Seemed Amallga didn't bother trying to sugarcoat her actions this time, since Scrooge already knew her intentions. "_Why don't you make things easier on yourself by letting me take your soul too? You could still be with your friends this way._"

The rich duck scowled, gripping his cane tightly. "I have no intention of ever le'ing you get the best of me, ye soul stealing spirit!"

"_If you say so Scrooge~ Do this the hard way then._"

Suddenly, Drake and Launchpad stepped forward together and ran at Scrooge. The older duck ushered the children away and dodged any blows the possessed pair tried to land on him. "Be careful kids! These two aren't in control of themselves righ' now."

"_Ooh, we can't let such tender souls go to waste either, can we?_" Amallga taunted, sending Drake after the ducklings.

They immediately separated to avoid the ex-actor, running around and staying out of Scrooge and Launchpad's way as they fought. Huey looked between their possessed friends and the shadow on the wall as he ducked away from their pursuer. "It looks like Amallga can't do anything without possessing someone first," he called out to his siblings.

Webby smiled brightly. "Of course! She said so herself: she's starving. She hasn't had any souls to eat while being trapped here, so she doesn't have enough power right now to manifest a physical form." She then yelped and pushed Louie away from Drake, who had started catching up.

"So why hasn't she eaten Launchpad or Drake's souls yet if she needs them and is already possessing their bodies?" he asked, ducking under a pile of boxes with her to slow Drake down.

"I can't really say for sure without knowing more about her." She used the cover of the boxes to catch the vigilante by surprise and kicked him in the chest, sending him tripping back into Launchpad.

"It's a rule she's forced to exist by," Scrooge answered, running to the kids while their friends untangled themselves from each other. "She can't actually take a soul, she has to be given it. That's why she tricks her victims into thinking she's helping them when they're at their lowest."

"And that's why she hasn't eaten their souls yet, because they haven't actually given them to her!" Huey brightened.

"Aye, but she's a decent manipulator. She can fool even the kindest, happiest people int' enough self-doubt, they'll practically beg her t' take their souls if she has enough time to mess with them."

Dewey asked, "So how do we stop her from manipulating Launchpad and Drake?" He didn't like fighting either of them, even if it wasn't actually them fighting right now.

The two finally got back to their feet and ran at the kids and their uncle again. Scrooge stood his ground, stepping in front of his niece and nephews and holding back the other adults. "We'll have t' do our best."

"You mean you don't know?!" Louie fretted.

"I told ye I was still working on finding the way t' stop her! We'll just have t' work with what we've got and hope the lads can withstand her long enough for us t' help 'em."

"Launchpad!" Drake reached for him but got his arm caught in the buzzing tornado again. He screamed and pulled away, hopping up and down and flailing his arm for some relief from the pain.

The hole started sealing up again, but not before he could see Launchpad look up from his huddle. "DW?" He couldn't see or hear his friend again when the fireflies maintained their barrier.

Drake glared at the tornado for a second before looking around for anything that could help him. There was literally nothing else, just dark grey and the whirlwind trapping his friend. And was it just him, or was the grey getting darker?

Well, pain or no pain, he was Darkwing Duck! No weird insects were going to keep him from helping his best friend.

He took a few steps back then a deep breath. Then he charged at the twister, closing his eyes as he made contact. The pain was unbearable, searing every inch of feather and flesh. But he kept going. He didn't stop or turn around or let himself be swept up in the winds until finally, finally, he broke through.

"Yeeow!" He hopped from foot to foot and waved around like there was a snake in his shirt until the lingering pain became a little more bearable. His hands flew to his head, the inside of the tornado much, much louder than the outside. But unlike the steady roar of the outside, the inside was a wailing cacophony of voices. He couldn't make out what they were all saying, but he caught a couple words: _stupid_, _endangerment_, _unwanted_.

He looked up and found Launchpad on his knees, his hands over his ears, his eyes screwed shut, and his face feathers damp. Drake stumbled over to him, the overwhelming volume making any movement difficult. "Launchpad!" he screamed over the other voices.

His friend glanced up again, and his heart broke at the lingering despair in his wet eyes that was now tinged with confusion. "Drake? What are you doing here?" the pilot yelled back.

"I'm here for you! I don't know if you could tell, but some shadow thing says she's going to take your soul away!"

He looked down, sadness returning to his eyes. "... Y-yeah. She was telling me she could... help me get away from my problems. I-I asked her what she was talking about, a-and these all appeared. I... didn't think there were so many, but-" He flinched and covered his ears again as a firefly broke off from its group and came closer to Launchpad.

It screamed at him, "_You're a danger to yourself and everyone near you!_" Drake frowned and batted the fly away, not even hissing at the burn it left on his hand anymore. Another came closer. "_You're everyone's friend, but that's never enough, is it?_" it taunted before also being swatted away by Drake.

He was coming to a disturbing realization of what was going on: each firefly was a negative thought, a bad memory, a nightmare, all coming together now to trap Launchpad in a twister of self-doubt, and it was starting to close in tighter around them.

He knelt down in front of his friend and called over the voices, "Launchpad, you have to ignore them! They're going to hurt you!"

LP couldn't stop shaking, unable to look at the other as he called back, "They've never been this loud before! O-or this many at once..."

Drake's heart broke again. He never considered such a wonderful person like Launchpad McQuack would have so many inner demons constantly going at him. It had never seemed more true to him than now that the loneliest people are the kindest, and the saddest will smile the brightest. There were too many being too loud for him to just ignore them right now, but Drake couldn't leave him to be overwhelmed by them.

A heavy sigh left his beak before he gently put his hands on Launchpad's broader shoulders. "Look at me LP," he asked softly, unsure if he would be heard. Surprisingly, the pilot did look over at him. Drake gently squeezed his shoulders, brow furrowing in determination. "Don't ignore them then." His friend's eyes flashed in surprise."Ignoring them isn't helping you. So face them. Stand up to them! Just like you stood up to Jim when he was tearing up the studio. But this time, stand up for yourself."

Launchpad stared at him, a whole array of emotions crossing his face: surprise, doubt, anger, sadness, thoughtfulness, and after what felt like forever and not long at all, determination joined the mix.

"_You will always wind up alone,_" a firefly whispered to him.

Drake outright growled before squashing the firefly between his hands. "No he won't!" he shouted. "He will never be alone again if I have any say in the matter!"

Launchpad flinched back a bit from the outburst. "... Drake?" he asked hesitantly, now his turn to put a hand on the other duck's shoulder. "You okay?" Of course he would be concerned about Drake while they were trapped in a tornado of his own pain that was trying to harm him further.

"No, I'm not okay! Because you're not okay! You're one of the best ducks I've ever met, and you're hurting, and I want to help you stop hurting before it becomes too much. I-" He lost some of the steam from his anger and looked down at their knees. "I've never really had friends before. Darkwing Duck always worked alone, he never needed anyone, so I... I thought I didn't either." A small smile lit his bill then. "But then I met you. And yeah, you fainted on me, twice, and you did try to lock me in my trailer, but you were so kind, and your intentions were always good! And you kept apologizing when I tried to fight you, and we geeked out over Darkwing together..."

He realized he was rambling, but he couldn't get himself to stop at this point if he wanted to, and somehow, his words seemed to be drowning out the onslaught of taunting fireflies. "And even without Darkwing Duck, you're just amazing, because you care about everything and everyone so genuinely; it's admirable, i-it's beautiful! I've never known that from anyone before."

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "You're... You're the best friend I've ever had Launchpad. A-and maybe there's a part of me that... that wants you to be more than that," his face was burning hot under his feathers by now, "if you want to! But I'd also be really happy just being your friend. And I promise that so long as I am around, you'll never be alone again."

Drake finally looked back up at Launchpad's face, a little worried at what he would see there. His worries vanished at the warm smile on the other's bill.

Launchpad stood up and offered his hand. Drake took it and was helped back to his feet before his hand was gently but firmly squeezed. "You're more than worth sticking around for DW. Let's get outta here, huh?"

He smiled and nodded. "Let's go."

Amallga's form suddenly faltered, as did her control of the two ducks, if only for a split second. "_What?_" she hissed. "_What's going on?_" Her form flickered again, the interference making Launchpad trip before he could grab Scrooge.

The rich duck smiled. "Looks like yer food is fighting back! Suppose even you are no match for Launchpad McQuack!"

"_Wha- They can't just- What's going on in there?!_" The shadow melted off the wall and into the possessed bodies, and the ducks became still once more.

Scrooge took a breath before turning to the ducklings. "Now's our chance kids. I'll stay here and restrain Launchpad and Mister Mallard while Amallga's distracted. You four get out of here and find the way t' defeat Amallga once and for all!"

"I'll stay with you," Dewey volunteered.

"No Dewey, she's too dangerous. I don't want t' risk having ye here and losing yerself t' her influence."

"But Launchpad's my friend! My best friend! And if he's as lonely as Amallga said he was, or even just a fraction of it, I don't want to leave him. I know he wouldn't leave if it were me under her power..."

Scrooge frowned, glancing at his pilot and former actor before looking back at his nephew. He didn't want to agree, but he knew the more time they spent arguing about it, the less they had to do anything while Amallga was distracted. "... Oh... Fine! But, if it gets worse, ye have t' leave when I tell ye to, got it?"

"Got it!"

"All right. Now you three get out of here. And close the door behind ye so she's trapped again."

"But you'll be trapped in here with her!" Huey fretted.

"I've handled her before, and I can do it again. I trust you all will be able to find what I couldn't. Now go!" The kids hesitated a second before turning and running back for the door. After a moment, uncle and nephew heard the door slam shut behind them. "All right Dewey, help me bind these two. And hope that whatever they're doing t' fight back against Amallga's influence, they can keep it up."

"This is not gonna feel good," Drake warned as he and Launchpad prepared to try leaving the ever-encroaching tornado.

His friend watched the fluttering flies intently. "It never does. Just..." he gently squeezed Drake's hand again, "don't let go?"

"Not even for a second." They looked at each other and nodded. Another deep breath... and they charged at the wall of the twister. They moved perfectly in-sync, their entwined hands not causing a single issue in the fluidity of their movements. Drake's heart sped up a little at the thought. He clearly wasn't much of a romantic, but the little things like this that he kept noticing just made him more sure that, friend or love, he was meant to have Launchpad McQuack in his life. And that was all the more incentive to help him keep his soul.

Just as they tensed up in preparation of breaking through the fiery blockade, a dark figure materialized in their path. "_What are you doing?!_"

Drake and Launchpad yelped and skidded to a halt before they could knock into the intruder. Some of the dark melted away to off-white feathers, but the red eyes and purple, fiery hair remained, leaving Amallga in her true form before them. And she was noticeably pissed.

The vigilante glared at the woman and answered. "It's just like I told you: Launchpad wants to keep his soul. I don't suppose you're going to hold up your end of the bargain though." At LP's confused look, he made a mental note to explain later.

Amallga shrieked, "_You weren't supposed to actually help him! I will not be bested by some walking disaster and a wannabe hero! I won't be left to rot!_" She lifted her hands, and suddenly, a good half of the light blue fireflies changed to a shimmering purple before breaking off from the group and flying straight at Drake.

DW yelped as he was suddenly swept off his feet by the hoard of fireflies, all of them burning every inch they touched. Their words changed as their color had, now directed at the ex-actor instead of the pilot.

"_You only ever embarrass yourself and those around you._"

"_Why should Launchpad stick around for someone like you?_"

"_It's your fault Jim's dead._"

He screamed, the pain of their taunts hitting his heart harsher than any of their burns did on his body. No, this wasn't the time! He was trying to help his friend, he didn't need his own self-doubts attacking him. Push them down, lock them away, deal with it later!

There was a pull on his arm that distracted him for a second. What was that? Were they trying to tear him apart now? Another pull and he suddenly felt a hand on his waist. Oh that's right! Launchpad never let go of his hand! One more pull, and the burning sensation vanished as Drake was pulled against the pilot's broad chest, LP turning and shielding the shorter duck with his body.

"Breathe," he bit out past a pained groan from the fireflies' burning touch.

Drake took a moment to breathe, not realizing he'd had trouble while airborne. He also wiped at his suddenly-damp eyes, his other hand having moved from Launchpad's to his thick bomber jacket, while the pilot's arms were wound around his back. How was his friend so quiet while being assaulted like this?

LP, shaking badly, curled around his friend a little more, his blue fireflies joining Drake's purple ones in a bombardment of negativity. "Remember what you told me," he whispered, his voice cracking from the pain. "Stand up to them... stand up for yourself."

He clutched his friend's jacket a little tighter, resting his forehead against Launchpad's chest. God he felt so safe... but now LP was taking the brunt of the abuse, and he couldn't allow that. "I... We have to face them together. She's attacking both of us now, so we'll only get out of this if we do it together." He pulled back enough to look at Launchpad. "We stand up for both of us, and we don't let go."

Launchpad looked down at him, taking a deep, shuddering breath and nodding. He brought his hand back in between them and held it up. Drake grabbed it and held tight.

"Let's. Get. Dangerous," they said to each other. They got back to their feet, staying close to avoid getting swept away.

Amallga growled. "_Why won't you just give in?!_"

The pair smiled knowingly before taking a step towards her. She lifted her arms again, and the fireflies swarmed around her, blue and purple mixing in another buildup of her power before she flung her hands forward, sending her storm barreling into the ducks. They braced themselves against the onslaught, still holding tight to each other's hand as the voices started screaming again.

"_You'll never make a difference!_" one yelled at Drake.

He felt Launchpad squeeze his hand then heard him shout over the fireflies. "Of course you'll make a difference; you already have! Gizmoduck isn't running himself ragged working by himself anymore. The crime rate has been dropping since you started fighting for justice! You are Darkwing Duck now, and things are better because of it!"

He felt tears welling in his eyes, a shaky smile on his bill. Suddenly, hundreds of the purple fireflies convulsed and folded over themselves like they were doing origami with their bodies, until they burst in a flash of light and became glowing butterflies. They flitted around innocently before flying away.

"_Th-that's not possible!_" Amallga screeched.

A blue firefly came close, Launchpad flinching as it screamed, "_Scrooge and his family don't need you anymore!_"

Drake stepped closer still, practically huddled under LP's arm, and shouted back, "That's not true! Maybe the triplets' mother has been piloting for everyone a lot more lately, but that doesn't mean they don't want you around! Dewey especially loves hanging out with you, and I'm sure the others feel the same way! You're like their big brother, so of course they still need you!"

Launchpad smiled at him, some of the fireflies starting to twitch around like Drake's had. But then another buzzed forward. "_You left one family behind; you should do it again before you get hurt!_" He flinched guiltily, tightening his grip on Drake's hand.

"LP?" he asked, concerned and confused, since his friend had never mentioned a family before.

"... I... I-I ran away from my family! My dad, my mom, my little sister... We're all stunt pilots, but I just... I kept crashing! Over and over again, no matter what I did to stop; it's like there's a magnetic force between me and the ground. I... I thought they were disappointed in me. So I left to become a better pilot."

"Oh Launchpad, how can anyone be disappointed in you? So, yeah, you have a hard time not crashing into things, but you have such a great heart! You love everything you do and everyone you meet with everything you've got. If they really are disappointed in you because you have some rough landings, then that's their fault! But it's never too late to... try making amends, you know?"

The pilot hesitated a moment before looking at DW with shimmering eyes, tears threatening to fall. "You think they'd even want to talk to me after so long?"

"I can't think of anyone who's more deserving of a second chance than you, LP," he answered genuinely.

There was a moment of pause before most of the blue fireflies burst spectacularly into their new butterfly forms as a small smile lit Launchpad's bill. Most of the voices had died away by now, making it easier to hear each other without needing to yell. Though there were still a few pesky insects lingering around.

"_It's your fault Jim's dead,_" a purple one accused Drake harshly.

Launchpad lifted up his free hand, resting it on his friend's shoulder and looking him in the eye so he wouldn't look away. "What happened to Jim..." he started softly, "what happened was not your fault. Jim was... not in a good place, and he let it get the better of him. He was going to hurt people, so we had to stop him. We can be sad that he's gone," he sighed, but then he smiled. "But he was still our hero. He got to be Darkwing Duck one last time, saving us both, and that's the memory that we can take with us and share with others."

Drake was definitely crying now, barely noticing most of the remaining fireflies transform like their brethren.

One lonely little firefly, tie-dyed blue and purple, danced up to Launchpad's shoulder. "_You will always wind up alone._"

The purple-clad duck laughed a little, letting the winged creature crawl onto his hand, barely feeling even a sting from it. "Not so long as I'm around," he promised quietly, still smiling up at his friend. "Even when we're apart, we'll never be alone. Never again." He squeezed Launchpad's hand once more, and the last firefly morphed. It and all the other butterflies flew around the pair before fluttering off into the almost-white, light grey. "They're... kinda beautiful this way," he muttered, watching them move on.

Launchpad glanced down at his companion and smiled warmly. "Yeah... Very beautiful."

Amallga could only stand there in shock. Only Scrooge McDuck had ever evaded her before, but she'd never gotten a proper chance to possess him and bombard him with all the troubles that plagued his rich but lonely life before he sealed her away in his manor. No one else had withstood her influence for so long, let alone actually defeat it! "_..._ _How?_" she whispered, returning their attention to her. "_How did you do that?_"

They shared a look. "Well," Launchpad started, "it helps when you know someone has your back."

Drake put his free hand on his hip, glaring at the demoness. "That it does. So what else do you have up your sleeve for us? We'll just keep fighting it until you leave us alone."

Amallga stared at them for a moment before sighing heavily. She all but collapsed and waved one hand dismissively, a bright white doorway appearing beside her. "_Go ahead and take your bodies back. I don't have enough energy to keep fighting you._" She put her head in her hand, staring at the space in front of her. "_But... could I stay here just a little longer? Without anything to keep me going, I'm going to die soon, and..._" Was it Drake's imagination, or was the malicious spirit trying not to get emotional? "_... I don't want to be alone when I die,_" she muttered, so quiet, they almost missed it.

"U-um... well..." He was at a loss for words. This creature just tried to kill him and Launchpad to eat them, and now... Now she looked like a lost little girl. He felt a slight tightness around his hand and looked over at Launchpad. He didn't know exactly what to make of the look on his face, but he wasn't entirely sure he liked it. "LP?"

The pilot glanced at him and smiled guiltily before turning back to Amallga. "So... why do you go after people like this? You said you helped people… but all of this," he waved his free hand towards the fading flock of butterflies, "it hurts them more than anything."

She looked up at him, a bit irritated. "_..._ _I'm a demon. I never asked to be, but I am. And I need souls to survive, but I have to be given them. As you can probably tell, people aren't usually willing to give up their souls._" Her hand not holding up her head drew aimless patterns on the floor in front of her. "_But eventually, I'd find people… people who were willing to hear me out. _

"_They were all lonely, upset, and afraid, in some way or another. More of things in their lives than of me. They… they saw me as their last resort, to get away from whatever was wrong with their lives. I was helping them… But soon enough, people stopped coming to me, trying to lock everything away and deal with it instead of giving in. I couldn't sustain myself anymore._"

Drake frowned in realization. "So you gave them reasons to come to you."

Amallga glared at her invisible patterns. "_It's not fair that I can't eat food like you do to survive. And if the world's not going to be fair to me, why should I be fair back?_" She pouted a little then. "_I was quite looking forward to your soul, Mister McQuack. I haven't had a soul as sweet and caring as yours in... I don't even remember how long._"

"... How can you tell if a soul is sweet?" Launchpad asked.

"_By your memories. They give off a particular scent, at least to us demons. A lot of people are bitter or salty or even tasteless, but you... even with all your doubts and bad memories, you could still look on them with some amount of happiness, so your soul is sweet._"

DW blinked, distracted from leaving by his intrigue. "So it's the memories that give you an idea of a person's quality? ... What if..." He couldn't believe he was trying to help her, but Launchpad was hesitant to leave her alone, and he wasn't going to let Launchpad go anytime soon. "... What if you ate the memories instead?"

"_Excuse me?_"

"I don't know. I'm not exactly an expert on this kinda thing, but you said it's the memories that give off the scent that intrigues you, right? And a person's experiences and how they handle them define that person, so maybe the memories would be enough to tide you over?"

She grumbled quietly before replying. "_If I took the memories, the soul would weaken from not having those experiences anymore and leave them more susceptible to demons more dangerous than me, so even if it did work, I might as well take the soul anyway._"

Drake sighed; obviously this was just wasting time. He pulled on Launchpad's hand, stepping towards the doorway to be done with this. But Launchpad didn't budge, Drake seeing the same look on his face that he had when he thought they could save the Darkwing movie by having the two DWs work together. He wasn't about to let this go, not without trying to help.

"... What about the memories from things instead of people?"

"Buh?" his friend muttered, a little habit he'd picked up from the pilot.

Launchpad grinned as he explained. "Mr. McDee refuses to get a new cane because he says his current one 'has too many memories'. I mean, he also doesn't like spending money if he can help it, but I think it's also a memory thing. Maybe you could take the memories that loved objects have collected over time?"

Amallga stared up at him like he was a puzzle she had to solve. Drake looked at him like he'd just found the last piece and put it in place. Of course Launchpad believed objects held memories like people did. Of course he would try to help a demon that just tried to eat his soul. Could there be anyone on this planet more sincere than Launchpad McQuack? He highly doubted it.

"_..._ _I don't really know if that would work,_" Amallga hesitantly replied. "_And I would likely still need permission to take the memories..._"

"I'll give you permission. I've got a whole box of tapes that are probably overloaded with memories. They'd be a good place to start, right?"

Drake lightly pulled on Launchpad's hand to get his attention. "Your Darkwing tapes? Are you sure LP? What if they get damaged?"

"Well, at least I've gotten a lot of use out of them. And I'll still have the memories of watching them, so it's not like I'll lose them completely."

"_... Why would you even want to help me?_" the demoness asked suspiciously.

The sheepish smile returned. "You're right; it's not fair what you have to do just to get to another day. And everyone deserves a second chance, even you. But if this works," he added seriously, stepping up and kneeling in front of her, Drake following since neither would release the other's hand, "no more hurting people. People... they need actual help when they're feeling bad, not someone coming around and making things worse, no matter what the reasoning is."

Drake was never going to be surprised by anything ever again, because for the love of everything, a ruthless, hungry demon actually looked guilty after getting a mild talking-to from the sweetest duck in existence.

Launchpad's smile returned then. He took one of her hands with his free one and helped all three back to their feet. "Besides, getting permission for objects will be much easier, so you won't have to work as hard. And maybe you can do something to help people for real this time. Help them keep going. It feels so much better, I promise."

Amallga hesitated. Could it really be that simple? Would it even work? Would she even be able to keep herself from reverting to manipulating others for their souls if she did this? There was a slight pressure on her hand. She looked down to see it still within the pilot's much larger one. Launchpad believed it could work out this way, and oddly... that seemed to be enough.

"_... I suppose it's worth a try then,_" she answered, a small, uncertain but genuine grin on her face.

Launchpad beamed. "Great! Wait here until I explain to Mr. McDee, okay? Then I'll get those tapes to you."

"_Your soul is sweeter than I thought. Thank you, Launchpad._" She leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, snorting at his little blush and the irritated look Drake was sending her. "_Go on now,_" she ushered them towards the doorway. "_The longer I keep that open, the more I use energy I don't have._"

"Oh, right! Sorry, won't keep you waiting much longer," Launchpad promised, before he and Drake walked into the blinding white.

The red fell from their eyes, both ducks taking gasping breaths as they regained control of themselves, their shadows returning to the wall.

"Is that ye again Launchpad?"

They turned and saw Scrooge and Dewey standing behind a few boxes acting as cover. "Hey Mr. McDee! Hey Dewey!" He went to get up and greet his best friend and his employer, but he found he couldn't budge. He looked down and found a bunch of ropes securing him and Drake to each other. "... Buh?"

"Ah, sorry lad. Amallga was using yer bodies t' attack us, so when ye distracted her, we made sure she couldn't use ye t' get us. Don't worry, we'll get ye loose now."

"No problem," Drake assured them, pulling the now-lax ropes from his body and turning to untie Launchpad.

Dewey blinked. "How did you do that?"

He shrugged, helping LP to his feet once he was also freed. "I learned a lot of useful skills over the years. Darkwing could get himself out of almost any situation, and I wanted to be able to do the same. Escaping ropes was actually one of the easier things I learned."

"Well, that's quite handy," Scrooge noted. "But besides the point. Wha' did you two do t' stop Amallga Mei?"

Launchpad grinned. "We stood up to her. Drake and I worked together and were able to withstand her attacks until she didn't have enough energy to continue."

"That's brilliant! But how did ye defeat her? Demons have t' be dealt with very specifically in order t' get rid of 'em. So how did ye get rid of her?"

Launchpad rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "Um... she's not actually defeated per se... I actually needed to get to my room so I can get her something to eat so she doesn't die."

Scrooge's brow furrowed. "You're doing what?! Launchpad, she's a demon! She can't just starve t' death like you or I could!"

"Mr. McDee, if she has to eat, starvation has to be a concern for her. I know she's done a lot of bad things before she was trapped here, but we talked about it. She's willing to try something different, something that won't hurt people!"

"She manipulates people; it's in her nature! She's probably just tricking you! Ye can't trust her."

"And she tried to take your soul," Dewey added. "You kinda can't do much when you don't have your soul. That alone should make you not trust her!"

Launchpad sighed. "I... I know there's not a lot in her favor. But I have to believe there's a better side to everyone: duck, demon, shadow, monster, alternate-dimension version of a person... anyone! I just..." He put his hand to his head. "I can't let her die up here without at least trying to help... I'll do whatever I have to, to make up for it if I'm wrong, but I need you to trust me."

"What are ye even going t' do to help her? She eats souls, so unless ye have a spare soul just lying around, I'm not sure what exactly yer hoping to accomplish."

He explained what he and Drake had been told about souls and memories, then his idea of giving Amallga sustenance from an object's memories, instead of a person's soul. "I was going to let her try with my Darkwing Duck tapes, since they probably have a ton of memories from all the times I watched them. I don't even know if it'll do anything for her, but I have to try."

Scrooge glared at his feet, muttering indistinguishable but irritated words as he fiddled with his cane. He looked over at Drake. "I don't hear you trying t' talk any sense int' him."

Drake grinned sheepishly. "I'm not entirely sure about this either Mr. McDuck. ... But I trust Launchpad. If anyone can talk a demon into being a better person, it's him."

He shared a look with his nephew, who also seemed to be more convinced, though was clearly struggling with the idea. Eventually, Dewey asked, "What if... I go get your tapes and bring them in here? At least the runes will hold her if something does go wrong, right Uncle Scrooge?"

The richest duck sighed heavily, recognizing a lost battle when he saw one. "Aye, tha' they should. All right Launchpad, we'll give yer plan a go. But be fully prepared for her t' turn on us, got it?"

Launchpad nodded. "Got it."

"I'll be right back with the tapes." Dewey ran off for the door, the creaks from opening and shutting it echoing throughout the room.

"... Y've got a big heart lad," Scrooge mumbled. "I'm worried it's gonna get ye in trouble someday. It's hard giving yer trust t' someone and having them betray it over and over again." Drake blinked; it sounded like Scrooge was speaking from experience. "Just, whether this works or not, at least try t' be more cautious, will ye?"

His pilot grinned. "I'll try. Thanks Mr. McDee."

Drake smiled, glad to see the miserly duck actually care about his employees, or at least the ones he was close to. That reassured him a bit about his friend's living situation. He then noticed Scrooge looking down and between them, expression curious. He glanced down, only just noticing that he and LP were holding hands again. How long had they been doing that, and without him even noticing? Since he untied Launchpad, just a moment ago, or sometime in-between? Well, if Launchpad had noticed, he certainly didn't seem to mind. So Drake just pretended he hadn't noticed, looking back towards the door at the sound of it swinging open.

"Got it!" Dewey called, carrying the stuffed box over to the adults.

"Thanks Dewey." Launchpad picked up the first tape of the series, not entirely sure what to do now. "Um, Amallga, I've got my tapes if you're ready. Oh! I give you permission to use them."

After a moment, Launchpad's eyes went red again. Scrooge pulled Dewey behind him, and Drake squeezed his hand tighter. The tape in his other hand started glowing the same purple as her hair before the glow moved onto his hand, up his arm, and overtook his body. The light then drifted down to his shadow as the red left his eyes, Launchpad shaking his head to clear it.

Amallga's form reappeared on the wall, separate from Launchpad's shadow this time. "_It... it worked,_" she remarked with her own voice, completely stunned. "_Not quite as much energy as a soul, but enough to keep me going. Launchpad, you're a genius!_"

"Yeah, I get called that a lot."

Dewey asked, "What, a genius?"

"No, Launchpad."

Drake put his hand to his bill to stifle his laughter. He swallowed a lingering chuckle before gently hugging his friend's arm. "You certainly are a genius though. Memories from objects? No one else thought of that!"

Launchpad blushed, but his smile wasn't going away any time soon. "Thanks... But you know what this means Amallga, right?"

The demon nodded, holding up her hand. "_No more souls. This way is much easier and tastes better too. So many good memories. Um..._" Her glowing eyes cast down. "_If I have trouble getting memories from elsewhere though-_"

"Come find me," he offered. "I've got plenty of tapes and other things to help keep you going. Or if you just wanna talk too. It's always nice to have a friend who'll listen."

"_You'll... be my friend?_"

Scrooge smiled and gently nudged his driver. "He is everyone's friend. But you and I will have words, missy, if I hear of ye taking souls again. And I won't be s' kind, understand?"

"_Loud and clear Scrooge._" Amallga stepped off of the wall then, the black melting from her off-white feathers again as she walked to Launchpad. She hugged the pilot, and he didn't hesitate to return the gesture with his free arm. "_Keep that soul of yours sweet. The world could use a couple more likes yours around._"

"You can help that, remember? Use what you've got to help people stand up for themselves, and a lot more souls will be better for it."

She released him and smiled. "_I'll try, for you. Thank you, Launchpad McQuack._" She then melted back into her shadow and slipped towards the door.

"Well," Scrooge sighed, "certainly not how I saw today going. I'll go get the kids, tell them t' pause their research. And have Beakley get a crew in here to unload everything and store it more properly." He grinned at his driver and tipped his hat before starting to head out. "Good on ye lad. Keep up the good work."

Dewey picked up the box of tapes again. "So... how did it feel to be possessed? Did you fight her at all, or did she use some magic powers? Do you think there are any other Darkwing tapes you can get to replace the one she ate?"

Launchpad hummed, looking at the tape still in his hand and gasped. "Whoa, it looks brand new!"

"What?" the vigilante and the duckling asked, looking at the tape he held out. The surface was clear of scratches and marks, and the label that had once been faded and peeling away at the edges was now bright and completely legible again.

"I could've sworn her eating the memories would've damaged it."

Drake straightened as a thought came to him. "Well, she said taking the memories from a person would be like they never happened, so... maybe the same applies to objects? She ate the memories, so they never happened to the tape, so it went back to the state it was in before they happened?"

Dewey beamed. "That's awesome! You can keep all your tapes for forever this way!" He gasped, eyes going wide. "You think she would do that with some of our stuff too? I bet Webby's got a bunch of fun stuff that would be cool to have restored! I gotta go tell them!" He thrust the box into Launchpad's arm and ran to find his siblings.

The remaining pair watched him go for a moment before the pilot laughed. "Well, at least today wasn't boring. I mean... I'm sorry I almost got your soul eaten by a demon," he noted sheepishly as they started for the door as well. They each saw Amallga's shadow slip through the now-open door and disappear with one last wave goodbye. They managed a wave back before returning to the garage.

"That wasn't your fault," Drake assured him. "Besides I-... I kinda bet my soul for the chance to help you."

"You what now?"

"Well, when Amallga possessed you, she tried to pass herself off as some saving grace or something, saying she was helping you because you weren't happy. But I just... I couldn't believe you'd want to give up your soul, no matter what she said. I told her I'd bet my life on it, and she nearly jumped at the opportunity. The original deal was that she would get my soul too if I was wrong, but if you wanted to keep your soul, she'd leave us both alone. Obviously she didn't hold up her end until you talked to her..."

Launchpad set his tapes down once they returned to the garage, gently squeezing Drake's hand. "Wow... Thank you. You never should've had to do something like that… But you did, for me." Drake smiled, but LP spoke up again before he could respond. "So... did you mean everything you said? Back when we were dealing with those firefly things?"

"Of course I did," he answered easily.

"_Everything?_" he stressed, taking his other hand and pulling him closer.

Drake tilted his head in confusion before feeling his face heat up at realizing what LP meant. "Oh, w-well um..." he hung his head, knowing he couldn't hide it anymore. "Yeah, everything. I mean, I don't really know how you feel about it, but I've thought about it once or twice. Or more. Maybe at least once a day. B-but if you just want to be friends, that's fine too! I-I-I just thought it'd be nice to kiss you- I mean be held by you- I mean wake up next to you in the morning!" Shut up! He snapped his mouth shut before he could embarrass himself further, unable to turn away since both his hands were being held captive.

After a moment of silence, sure he'd just screwed everything up, he heard Launchpad laugh. He looked up again to see his friend smiling at him, warm and affectionate. "Maybe we could start with a date? Could go have dinner, just us two, if that's cool?"

Drake thought his brain short-circuited. He had to subtly step on his own foot to jump-start himself. "Y-yeah!" he agreed enthusiastically. "Yeah, of course! More than cool!"

"Awesome! I'll let Mr. McDee know I'm borrowing the car, then we can go, okay?"

"Sure! I'll just uh, wait here." He wasn't familiar with the manor at all, and was still reeling a bit from being asked out, so he was definitely going to either get lost or embarrass himself in front of the McDuck family. Best to just stay and wait.

" 'kay. I'll be quick." Launchpad hesitated a second before leaning down and kissing Drake's cheek. He pulled back, smile shy but genuine, then went to find his boss.

Drake blushed deeply, even his feathers were tinged red. His hand went up to the spot LP kissed, a silly smile on his face. There was a slight feeling of loss from not holding his hand anymore, but the excitement for the date and the kiss quickly overrode that. And he was pretty sure there would be a lot more to come in the future.

A few weeks later, Drake returned to the McDuck Manor garage and greeted his boyfriend with several kisses. And a new couch.


End file.
